Cloverleaf and Diamond Interchanges: Advantages and Disadvantages

Did you know that the average American drives 13,474 miles a year? 

ⁱ That equates to over 1,000 miles a month and almost 40 miles a day! As a society that is always on the go, we rely on our roads to be constructed efficiently to get us to-and-from work, social gatherings, and school. 

If you aren't a professional civil transportation engineer, then you probably haven't put much thought into what makes our roads effective. From roadway grades to pavement, there are many factors that transportation engineers need to consider when optimizing driving routes. Interchanges are always a factor to consider; especially when drivers need to have the ability to transfer from one road to another. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, "An interchange is a grade-separated intersection (one road passes over another) with ramps to connect them. [...] Interchanges are designed to fit specific local conditions and meet driver expectations."

ii Although there are many types of interchanges throughout America's roadways, cloverleaf and diamond interchanges are the most prevalent.

ⁱⁱⁱ When an interchange needs to be constructed, transportation engineers need to consider factors such as cost efficiency, location, and volume. Learn more about the two most prevalent interchanges below: 

Cloverleaf

By Vectorised by User:Sushant savla from the work by User:BotMultichill - File:Knooppunt klaverblad.png, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73150655

This is a relatively popular interchange because it only requires one bridge that is constructed between the perpendicular and the leading routes. Construction of this interchange is relatively inexpensive because of this. 

A factor to consider when evaluating this interchange is the need for a large amount of land, as this interchange takes up a lot of space. Another disadvantage to this interchange is it can only serve a low capacity of traffic and because of this, cloverleaf interchanges are typically found on older roads in rural areas. 

Diamond

By RubySS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3165455

"The diamond interchange is the most common type where a major facility intersects a minor highway. The design allows free-flow operation on the major highway but creates at-grade intersections on the minor highway with the ramps."

Unlike the cloverleaf interchange, the diamond interchange is suitable for both rural and urban areas. The diamond interchange also doesn't take up much space, and therefore is relatively economical to construct.

The main disadvantage to the diamond interchanges is the possibility of congestion. For example, if a car is attempting a left-hand turn after exiting another roadway, traffic may build up behind that car if the traffic on the cross road prohibits the car from turning at a reasonable time. This can cause traffic to back up the exit ramp and may even cause congestion on the original road the car was exiting from.

References

i.DiLallo, M. The Average American Drives This Much Each Year -- How Do You Compare? Retrieved from https://www.fool.com/investing/ general/2015/01/25/ the-average-american-drives-this-much- each-year-ho.aspx

ii. Highway Features. Retrieved from https://www.modot.org/highway-features-0

iii. Studies : About Interchanges. Retrieved from http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ Engineering/Roadway/studies/ aboutinterchanges/Pages/default.aspx

"When Should I Begin Studying for the NCEES PE Exam?"

As an exam review course provider, we get the question, "When should I begin studying for the PE exam?" quite often. Since we get asked this question so often, we thought we would do some research. Did you know that the average exam applicant spends approximately 300 hours studying for the NCEES PE exam? 

While 300 hours may seem like a lot, it makes sense; the PE exam, no matter which discipline, asks extremely complex questions. Those who pass the PE exam become licensed engineers, and as engineers are responsible for the general public's safety, they need to understand complex engineering concepts. For example, exam applicants preparing for the PE Civil exam with a Transportation Depth need to understand the following topics: 

Breadth Topics

1. Project Planning
2. Hydraulics and Hydrology
3. Means and Methods
4. Geometrics
5. Soil Mechanics
6. Materials
7. Structural Mechanics
8. Site Development

Depth Topics 

1. Traffic Engineering
2. Horizontal Design
3. Vertical Design
4. Intersection Geometry
5. Roadside and Cross- Section Design
6. Signal Design
7. Traffic Control Design
8. Geotechnical and Pavement
9. Drainage
10. Alternatives Analysis

When putting the 300 hours into consideration, how far in advance do typical exam applicants begin preparing for their exam? We dug a little deeper and conducted a survey. We found that a majority of survey respondents reported an average of 3-6 months was needed to sufficiently prepare.

As the pencil and paper PE exams are currently 3 months away, we highly encourage those who have not begun studying to begin. By beginning the studying process now rather than later (in March or April), you'll be thanking yourself when you aren't forced to cram hundreds of hours of studying into the two weeks before the PE exam. 

A great way to study for the exam is to take an exam review course. School of PE offers PE Architectural, PE Chemical, PE Civil, PE Control Systems, PE Electrical, PE Environmental, PE Fire Protection, PE Industrial, PE Mechanical, and PE Petroleum exam review courses. Many Live Online courses for the upcoming pencil and paper exams begin this February, but to begin studying right away, School of PE offers an OnDemand option. 

Bundling options are also available. With our bundle option, you can even pay for the OnDemand course and later add the Live Online or Onsite class for only $300. This allows our students to start studying on their own now and then participate in a structured class that is scheduled closer to the date of the NCEES PE exam. 

What are you waiting for? Sign up to begin preparing today! 

The Benefits of Online Engineering Exam Prep Courses

Throughout the last few years, e-learning has become extremely popular. Once frowned upon and avoided, students began to become more attracted to online learning. Now, many universities offer online college courses, there are even degrees students can achieve completely online! Since the year 2,000, the online-learning industry has had a significant growth of 900%. 

As a review course provider, School of PE understands the benefits of online learning. Not only does online learning allow students to study anywhere, anytime, but it also increases lecture/ material retention rate and memory consolidation. Learn more in the infographic below: 

To help engineers prepare for licensure exams, School of PE provides Live Online courses. The Live Online courses are led by our experienced instructors and follow a traditional classroom structure. The advantage is that this classroom is virtual, and students can attend class from the comfort of their homes. This online platform goes beyond one-way learning and follows a structured study schedule to keep students on track. 

To registered for a Live Online course for your desired prep course, whether it be FE, PE, SE, or Surveying, please click here. 

References

Little-Wiles, J., Fox, P., Feldhaus, C., Hundley, S., & Sorge, B. Student Engagement Strategies in One Online Engineering and Technology Course. Retrieved from https://www.asee.org/public/conferences/20/papers/7674/download

Gutierrez, K. (n.d.). Facts and Stats That Reveal The Power Of eLearning. Retrieved from 

https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/301248/15-facts-and-stats-that-reveal-the-power-of- elearning

Engineering Corporate Training Classes Boost Business Profitability, Efficiency

Career development through education is often thought to be difficult for working professionals with a full-time 9-5 job. Whether a working professional wishes to take college classes or a discipline-specific exam review course, providing professional training and development opportunities significantly helps corporations. Many education companies that provide professional training to corporations have a predetermined corporate discount. 

When evaluating why a company should provide training and development opportunities to their employees, profitability is one reason that particularly stands out. In fact, "companies that offer comprehensive training programs have 218% higher income per employee than companies without formalized training." ⁱ 

Some reasons why employee development opportunities provide a profitability boost is because corporate training classes improves efficiency, creates trust, and improves employee retention. Read more below:

Table of Contents

1. Improves Efficiency

2. Creates Trust

3. Improves Employee Retention

1. Improves Efficiency

Improving organizational efficiency is one of the biggest benefits employers provide training and development opportunities to their employees to impact profitability. When employees learn new skills, they may become work harder, therefore getting more, quality work completed in a set amount of time. "For the organization, training and development leads to improve profitability while cultivating more positive attitudes toward profit orientation." ⁱⁱ 

2. Creates Trust 

Employees love when companies provide extra benefits, such as company outings or career development opportunities. By offering different perks to employees, companies can build a more trusting management-employee relationship, which therefore increases overall employee morale and decreases turnover. According to a LinkedIn article, "[E]xtra fringe benefits can improve morale. [Corporate training opportunities] create an atmosphere of appreciation, kindness and caring for employees." ⁱⁱⁱ 

3. Improves Employee Retention 

Working professionals often wish to advance into more challenging job roles the longer they work for a company, and with the correct training tools, they can typically progress into higher positions at a desirable rate. Employees are more likely to stay with a company when they are periodically promoted. Job turnover is expensive, so retaining quality employees is always beneficial to a company. 

References

i Gutierrez, K. (n.d.). Mind-blowing Statistics that Prove the Value of Employee Training and Development. Retrieved from https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/ statistics-value-of -employee-training-and-development 

ii Tahir, Neelam & Khan Yousafzai, Israr & Shahid Jan, Dr & Hashim, Muhammad. (2014). The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and Productivity A case study of United Bank Limited Peshawar City, KPK, Pakistan. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 4. 10.6007/IJARBSS/v4-i4/756. 

iii Lunch and Learn Benefits. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lunch-learn-benefits-wendy-rose/

2018 Engineer Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Engineers

The holidays are upon us, and it's time to get into the holiday spirit! If you are in need of gift ideas for an engineer in your life, we have some ideas for you! Who knows, maybe you will put one of these items on your Christmas list!Posture Corrector

Do you know an engineer whose posture sometimes isn't up-to-par? Sitting in the office for long periods of time can have detrimental effects on posture. Lumo Lift is a great solution for those who slouch due to sitting for a long time. 

Portable Espresso Maker

Engineering sometimes requires long days at both the office and the job site. Sounds tiring, right? A great gift for an engineer would be a portable espresso maker. This espresso maker can continually give energy boosts all day long. 

PDH Courses

Give the gift of education by signing up the engineer in your life for a PDH course. Engineers need to renew their licenses in many states, so signing them up for some continuing education classes will take some of their stress away! PDH courses are great gifts for civil engineers, electrical engineers, and even mechanical engineers!

Wireless Cell Phone Chargers

In today's day and age, everyone is extremely busy (especially engineers) and may end up running out of cell phone battery juice. Nobody wants to carry around a charging cable, so wireless chargers are perfect. From solar chargers to charging phone cases, convenience is a necessity in an engineer's life.

3D Printer

Owning a personal 3D Printer may seem impossible do to the cost, but FlashForge is selling a 3D Printer that is economically priced. This 3D printer works with Wi-FE, USB cables, flash drives, and even has Cloud capability.

School of PE Provides Extra Features to Help Students Who Have Been Out of School for a While for FE, PE Exams

As an NCEES exam prep provider, School of PE assists students of all ages - ranging from undergraduate students to professionals who have been out of School for a while. We strive to help every student feel confidently prepared for their chosen exam. 

If you've been out of school for a while, there might be common engineering concepts that are not fresh in your mind and you may be wondering how to prepare for an NCEES exam. We hear this concern a lot and have created special features for students who may need a little refresher before diving into our main review course. These features include our Free Basic Engineering Math and Free Calculator training.

Free Basic Engineering Math

Let's face it, math is essential for engineers during day-to-day routines. If you are preparing for an NCEES exam, it is extremely important that you fully understand basic engineering math. If you have been out of school for a while and need to take an NCEES exam soon, it may be a good idea to have a refresher on engineering mathematics. 

School of PE offers a Free Basic Engineering Math video to help students refresh their basic math skills so that they can have a solid understanding of engineering mathematics. When you register for an exam review course with School of PE, you will receive a three-hour basic math review video. We also provide supplemental materials for you to download and print. These documents are meant to use to take notes with. If you are taking a pencil and paper exam, such as the PE Civil exam, you can bind these notes and bring them into the exam to use as a reference.

Free Calculator Training

When taking an FE, PE, SE, or Surveying exam, understanding your calculator is very important. Not only is it important to get the correct answers but knowing how to properly use your calculator can help you save valuable time during the exam. 

NCEES has a specific list of approved calculators that may be used on the exam. Many of these calculators have similar functions, but the most popular calculator (and the best calculator for the FE and PE exam, in our opinion) is the Casio FX-115 model. We've heard back from our students and our video was extremely helpful for people who have been out of school for a while and need a refresher on engineering calculator functions. 

Passing an NCEES exam is a big deal, no matter how long you've been out of school for. We, at School of PE, are dedicated in helping every student pass their exams. Sign up for a review course today!

PE Fire Protection Exam and Industry Trends

It's autumn once again, which means that the leaves are drying out, making wild fires more prominent. When thinking about fires, engineers are often looked over. When structures are designed, fire safety is a very important factor to put into consideration. Pursuing a career in fire protection engineering is very rewarding, as the industry is continuously growing and there are many jobs available.

To become licensed as a fire protection engineer, one must take and pass the PE Fire Protection exam. Check out some fire protection industry and exam statistics in the infographic below:

References

Health and Safety Engineers. Retrieved from 

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ architecture-and-engineering/health-and-safety-engineers.htm#tab-1

National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State. Retrieved from https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/ intelligence/2017_statssumm/fires_acres17.pdf

Statistical reports on the U.S. fire problem. Retrieved from

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/ statistics/reports/